


The Devil's Got Nothing On Me, My Friend

by I_Write_Sins_and_Tragedies



Category: Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Star Wars Setting, Gen, OC-centric, READ THE TAGS BEFORE YOU READ THE FIC, Self-Indulgent fic because I wanted to, Song fic, The song is "Beekeeper" by Keaton Henson, You've been warned
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-01
Updated: 2017-09-01
Packaged: 2018-12-22 09:46:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,968
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11964843
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/I_Write_Sins_and_Tragedies/pseuds/I_Write_Sins_and_Tragedies
Summary: A self-indulgent song fic made for my "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" OC because "Beekeeper" by Keaton Henson is just too dang perfect for her.





	The Devil's Got Nothing On Me, My Friend

**Author's Note:**

> A link to the song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHWJT7mo4I0

**Believe me,**  
**Believe me, this loneliness won't go away**

The bedsheets beneath Twitch scratched against her palms. Everything around her felt like... _more_. The bedding was rougher. Metal colder. Every sound was bouncing around in her head like the echoes of a curious child shouting in a cave. But despite this constant barrage on her senses, the young soldier felt incredibly empty, as though someone had reached into her chest and scooped out all the internal organs.

 **Hear me,**  
**Oh, woman that has gone astray**  
**Gone astray**

With a deep sigh, she slid off of the bed. The short distance between her perch upon the bunk and the ground passed in only a moment, and she landed silently. Amber eyes stared ahead blankly, glazed with thoughts that dragged her mind behind a wall of soundproof glass that seemed to mute out the world, yet simultaneously magnified it.

Emotions swirled just outside of that glass, pounding against it with pulls and pushes of her inner tide. Each aggravating thought pulled it closer, and every calming one pushed it away. The waters of Twitch's emotions churned silently, not escaping her body, but as a result crowding her mind.

Her hands found a locker door with ease, guiding it open without a sound. Light but thick leather armor was donned, a belt secured around her waist (gun and holster included), and her swords attached to each loop over her hips. The woman straightened, starting towards the door when a soft whisper of her name drew her to a halt.

 **Your friends,**  
**Your friends will always just be in your way**

"Twitch? Twitch, where are you going? It's oh four hundred..."

Turning just enough to look over the slightly darker lump in the room, Twitch lowered her shoulders in time with a faint sigh. A leak had sprung through that sound proof glass in her mind, emotions disrupting her thoughts without permission. Of course Tail had to wake up at the most inconvenient time possible. Not before she'd gotten geared up, but after when it would raise questions and make her excuses that much harder to believe.

Then again, did he deserve to be left alone without any prior warning? It felt somewhat cruel to just up and leave without even a proper explanation... Her friend...her _brother_ deserved better than that.

 **Trust me,**  
**They'll die or leave you, either way**  
**Either way**

"I'm leaving." While this statement was hardly anything spectacular - especially given how obvious it was - the younger soldier's somber tone was likely what had Tail sitting up suddenly. A lamp flickered on soon, weak and yet blindingly bright to Twitch, who shielded her eyes with one hand.

"What? For how long? Why do you need your armor...?" A part of the woman knew that deep down, her comrade already understood what was happening. But it seemed they were both in denial. Her of the flooding within her mind, and Tail of the circumstances responsible for such.

"Tail, I'm _leaving_. It's time. I'm sorry." She listened as the older clone stood up, watching from the corner of her eye as he walked closer. His expression was twisted with confusion, concern, and a level of underlying sorrow. Yes...he knew...but it was easier to deny than accept a painful truth.

 **You all say I've crossed a line,**  
**But the sad fact is I've lost my mind**

" _Why?!_ Why now? It's- This is too sudden. There's got to be some reason..." Twitch's shoulders rose some in time with her brother's voice, her gaze dropping to the floor. There would be no explaining it to someone who was raised to choose death before desertion. Even if her reasoning was sound...

"Haven't you noticed something strange? The Separatists are always one step ahead. They know and do things they shouldn't. They obviously have a spy. And the Republic's not _dealing_ with it. At this rate, it could end up getting countless troops slaughtered. I can't investigate while I'm still in the GAR; that would tip the spy off. I have to do this alone."

 **You all say I've crossed a line,**  
**But the sad fact is I've lost my mind**

"That...no, that's crazy. You've got to...we should talk to one of the generals. Skywalker, he- you trust him, right?" The note of desperation in Tail's voice took a sledgehammer to the glass. Twitch all but flinched, and she closed her eyes whilst sucking in a deep breath.

"I don't trust any Jedi. I just hate some less than others. Look, there's no point investigating this spy while I'm with the Republic. We don't know how high they rank. For all we know, if I started while still here, _they'd_ be the one filing my paperwork. I'm not tipping them off like that." Large, warm hands fell onto the young woman's shoulders, gripping tightly.

The water was pouring in now, cracks spider-webbing all throughout the glass. Twitch's body trembled faintly as she choked back the rising tide of emotion, determined not to show the fear and grief that was drowning her. This was her burden. Leaving the GAR had always been inevitable. She just regretted growing so close to Tail. It was only hurting them in the end, as proven by his more frantic tone.

"That's borderline treason. Deserting _is_ treason! Twitch-"

 **And I'm just getting started, let me offend**  
**The devil's got nothing on me my friend**

And there went the glass.

"What else is new?!" Both of Twitch's hands swept up, batting away her brother's as she looked up. Amber eyes met hazelnut ones, both of them glazed with emotion. Tears pricked at the woman's eyes, yet she refused to blink to allow them to fall. "I deserted when I left Kamino. I committed treason by blackmailing the Republic. What do I care? They can't do much worse to me!"

"Twitch-"

 **All I want is to be left alone**  
**Tact from me is like blood from a stone**

"All I've ever done in my life is try to end this war as quickly as possible. I only joined this damn army so I could further that cause, and now that plan's run its course. It's time to move on; I'm less effective when I'm not working alone. Especially with Separatist spies running around."

Tail opened his mouth again, his own eyes glossed over with tears. It broke Twitch's heart to know that she'd brought this upon them. To know that she had allowed them to get close enough for this heartbreak. It was her fault... That guilt lent softness to her voice, and it lowered to a sorrowful murmur.

"I'm sorry I got so close to you. I knew I'd have to leave some day. Making friends would only hurt both of us..."

A blur of movement briefly preceded warmth as her brother wrapped his arms around Twitch's frame, and the current of emotions swept her up completely. The woman's arms flew around Tail's waist, pulling him close as the tears began to escape. This was her fault...she could only hope that one day, when the war ended, they could find each other once more.

"Stay...please, stay..." Tail's hoarse, pleading whisper wrenched out a shudder that coursed throughout the younger soldier's entire frame, even as she shook her head.

 **Cause I'm just getting started, let me offend**  
**The devil's got nothing on me my friend**  
**All I want is to be left alone**  
**Tact from me is like blood from a stone**  
**From a stone**

"I'm sorry." The breathed out words barely escaped Twitch before she hooked a foot behind Tail's leg, pulling back sharply and sending him off balance. With the taller clone's arms moved away in an attempt at avoiding a fall, she had little trouble darting behind her brother and putting him into a choke hold.

Gurgles and wheezes slid out of the man's frame as he struggled against her, clawing at her forearms and grabbing at either bicep. The desperate movements slowly lost strength, and after a couple minutes, faded to nothing. Twitch counted up to thirty seconds before releasing him, spending another minute gently shifting her now unconscious friend back into his bunk and tucking him in.

"I'm so sorry..."

 **Can you see?**  
**Can you see they tell you lies thus keeping you weak**

Twitch knew this would likely be the outcome of her trying to tell Tail. Perhaps this was the less painful option than vanishing with no explanation. Letting that mystery eat away at her brother's mind would be just as cruel, right...? But even then... Even with this bitter farewell, they were both sure to be left sore and hurting for many weeks to come. Perhaps months.

It was no surprise that Tail had reacted as he did, of course. He was raised and trained so differently from his sister. Accepting her desertion would be bizarre, to say the least. Even if it made more sense than staying. That was just what the Republic did to their troops, Twitch supposed. Force-fed them lies until they couldn't break free of their confining web.

"Twitch? Are you alright?"

 **Leave me, my heart is dead for all to see**  
**Can you see?**

Rex, however...Captain Rex could live without knowing the truth. The young soldier rubbed her eyes and face dry of tears, looking up to meet her superior's worried gaze without betraying the slightest hint of further emotion. Thankfully, the hallway they occupied was otherwise empty, leaving them unobserved.

"I'm fine. It was only a nightmare. I'm just getting some fresh air, nothing to worry about." Her tone was barely tainted with any signs of life. Smooth and matter-of-fact, yet so devoid of her usual spark. Not so much as a reassuring smile or exasperated scoff. However, the captain only nodded with a small frown, watching as Twitch continued to walk down the hallway.

 **You all say I've crossed a line,**  
**But the sad fact is I've lost my mind**

Leaving the base wasn't so difficult after that. With her emotionless facade in place, the woman walked out the front doors and into the busy sprawl of Coruscant. Leaving the planet to shake the inevitable search for her would be easy. From there, the most difficult parts would be finding a lead to the spy and dealing with her aching heart.

 **You all say I've crossed a line,**  
**But the sad fact is I've lost my mind**

"Tail?" Rex's knuckles tapped firmly against the door frame to the scout's quarters, his brow furrowed. "Trooper, answer me." After another knock and a long moment of waiting, the captain stepped inside. He flicked on the lights, confused to see the other clone laying in bed, seeming to be peacefully asleep.

Shaking Tail's shoulder, however, shifted the blankets around his neck and revealed a band of faint bruising around it. Rex's eyes widened, his head snapping up towards the door to follow the phantom movements of Twitch.

 **Cause I'm just getting started, let me offend**  
**The devil's got nothing on me my friend**  
**All I want is to be left alone**  
**Tact from me is like blood from a stone**

By then, the young soldier was flitting about the alleyways of the city, out of sight from cameras and people alike. Her expression was set like stone; a concentrated scowl of determination. With any luck, she thought, Tail would wake up in time to cause no suspicion. With any luck, he wouldn't tell Rex or Skywalker what she had done or said. With any luck, he would forgive her.

 **Cause I'm just getting started, let me offend**  
**The devil's got nothing on me my friend**  
**All I want is to be left alone**  
**Tact from me is like blood from a stone**  
**From a stone**


End file.
